What Does John 4:30 Mean in the King James?
Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Greek repeats one movement root: they come out of the city, then come toward him.
THE MEANING
A witness’s invitation draws people beyond their familiar enclosure and toward encounter. The movement begins while the question is still open; leaving and coming near are two parts of one motion.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The verse unsettles the belief that every doubt must be settled before you move toward an encounter.
THE ROOT
ἤρχοντο πρὸς αὐτόν
ērchonto pros auton
GROWS FROM
ἐρχ- (erch-), from ἔρχομαι (erchomai)
to come or go, to arrive
“came unto him” in this verse is ērchonto pros auton. The word translated “came” shares its motion root with “went out,” which is ἐξέρχομαι (exerchomai). English separates departure and approach, while Greek links them as one unfolding movement: out of the city, toward him.
ALSO GROWS
exerchomai: go out, come forth
ἐξέρχομαι
This is the verb translated “went out”; its prefix marks movement from the city, while the shared root connects that departure to their coming toward him.
proserchomai: approach, come near
προσέρχομαι
This related form joins the same motion root to “toward,” echoing the direction of their arrival in the verse.
THE PATTERN
When an invitation names a living encounter, response takes the form of coming near.
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.THE THREAD
All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.John 4:30 uses ἔρχομαι (erchomai), “come,” with πρός (pros), “toward”; John 6:37 repeats that same verb-and-direction pairing in “cometh to me.” The townspeople’s movement toward him opens into a recurring image of arrival that is received.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us